Meet Your New Councilors

On Jan. 5, the three newly elected members of the Winthrop Town Council were sworn in at a ceremony at the Robert DeLeo Senior Center.

Joseph Aiello, Hannah Belcher, and Richard Fucillo took their seats at their first-ever Council meeting directly after. They join new Council Pres. James Letterie, and Councilors Rob DeMarco, Barbara Flockhart, Tracy Honan and Stephen Ruggiero.

Joseph Aiello

Precinct 5 Councilor Joseph Aiello holds a Master’s Degree in City Planning Economics, Economics and Policy Analysis from Harvard University. For the past seven years, he has worked as a senior fellow at the Tufts University Center for International Environment and Resource Policy. Prior to that, Aiello worked for Meridiam, an independent investment corporation specializing in sustainable public infrastructure. From 2015 to 2021, he served as the Chairman of the Fiscal and Management Control Board of the MBTA.

Among his honors, Aiello received the Normal Leventhal Award for City Building in 2020 and was named the 2018 “Person of the Year” by the New England Chapter of the Construction Management Association of America.

Aiello, who previously served on the Middle School Site Review Development Committee, said he ran for Council to make sure that taxpayer dollars are used properly. He looks forward to getting involved in the town’s budget and finances, and hopes to “help improve the transparency, accountability and culture of town government.”

Aiello has lived in Winthrop since 1984 and is married with one son and a grandson. Learn more about him.

Hannah Belcher

Also a Harvard graduate, Councilor Hannah Belcher of Precinct 3 holds a Master’s Degree in Psychology. She has worked for the University for nearly seven years, previously as a faculty coordinator and more recently as a student coordinator.

Prior to serving on council, Belcher was on the Airport Hazards Committee and the Scholarship Committee. She also worked with the Town Clerk on elections over the past years. She ran for Town Council because she believes in being an active participant in one’s community.

“Fresh perspectives are incredibly important in protecting the longevity and growth of the community,” she said. “My skill set aligns well with the role, and I felt that this was how I could maximize my positive impact for the community.”

Councilor Belcher is passionate about long-term financial pragmatism, efficiency and public safety. She hopes to be part of progress that doesn’t compromise Winthrop’s small-town appeal, and looks forward to supporting ongoing efforts such as traffic mitigation, airport issues and the public safety building. In her precinct, she plans to focus on the conservation of beaches and natural resources.

Councilwoman Belcher has lived in Winthrop her whole life. She lives with her boyfriend and their three cats. She also makes and sells crafts.

Read more about Councilwoman Belcher.

Richard Fucillo, Jr.

Precinct 1 Councilor Richard Fucillo, Jr. is a recent graduate of Emerson College, where he was vice president of his class and a member of the financial advisory board. Fucillo obtained his Bachelor’s of Communication Studies with a minor in American Sign Language. In 2021, he ran for State Rep. for the 19th District, coming in second. His previous work includes social media management.

“I decided to run [for Council] because I love the town and want to make it the best it can be,” he told the Transcript.

Fucillo is passionate about affordable housing and expanding digital infrastructure. He hopes to learn more about how decisions are made and how he can best represent his constituents. He also looks forward to filling the town manager position and other vacancies.

Like Councilor Belcher, Fucillo has lived in Winthrop his whole life and plans to remain. He coaches baseball in his spare time, and is the son of Richard Fucillo, Sr. who founded the Viking Pride Foundation.